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Volunteer Spotlight: Bill Fedullo

School:
Philosophy/English double major at Swarthmore College, class of 2016.

What do you do as a volunteer for the ACLU of Pennsylvania?
I’m an intake worker, which means I call people who feel that their civil rights have been violated. Based on what those people tell me, I write up reports that are sent to our attorneys. Our attorneys then decide what action, if any, we can take.

How long have you volunteered with the ACLU of Pennsylvania?
I worked here in the summer of 2014, and returned this summer.

How did you first get involved with the ACLU of Pennsylvania?
I’m family friends with one of the attorneys who was working with the ACLU on the Whitewood v. Wolf case. When I told him I was looking for a volunteering opportunity at a legal non-profit, he put me in touch with the ACLU.

Why is volunteering with the ACLU of Pennsylvania important to you?
So many rights that today we take more or less for granted – the right to be in an interracial relationship, to read the poetry of Allen Ginsberg, to express inflammatory political opinions – were won and maintained with the support of the ACLU. It’s really exciting to be a part, however small, of that tradition of legal activism.

What civil liberties issue(s) are you most passionate about and why?
I care a lot about freedom of expression; after all, it’s what keeps liberal democracies, well, liberal and democratic. I also am really interested in efforts to make the United States a place that sends fewer people to prison for silly reasons. Additionally, I’m really proud of the ACLU’s past and continued efforts to make my LGBT friends and neighbors full and equal citizens under the law.

What do you do when you’re not volunteering for the ACLU of Pennsylvania?
I write, read, do some theater, and spend an unhealthy amount of time arguing politics.

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If you are interested in volunteering with the ACLU of Pennsylvania, please visit: aclupa.org/volunteer